Apparatus for imparting false twist to yarn

ABSTRACT

An assembly for false twisting yarns including first and second spindle units mounted for displacement relative to each other upon a common support. The units include friction drive rings normally maintained in driving relation which receive their drive from a belt in engagement with one of the spindle units. A friction bushing is positioned in each end of each spindle unit for applying a false twist to yarns drawn through the units.

United States Patent Smith 1 Dec. 19, 1972 [54] APPARATUS FOR IMPARTING FALSE 3,587,250 11/1970 MacKintosh ..57/77.4

TWIST TO YARN 1 FOREIGN PATENTS 0R APPLICATIONS [72] Inventor: Joseph F. Smith, Greensboro, NC.

850,079 9/1960 Great Britain ..57/77.4 Assignee: Pem-Ims, Greensboro, NC 1,285,433 l/l962 France ..s1/77.4 [22] Filed: Aug. 6, 1970 440,546 l0/l948 Italy, ..57/77.4

[21] App]. No.: 61,536 Primary Examiner-Donald E, Watkins Attorney-David Rabin [52] US. Cl ..57/77.45 [51] 1m. (:1. ..D02g 1/04 [57] ABSTRACT [58] Field of Search ..57/51-51.6, 77.3-77.45 An assembly for false twisting yarns including first and r second spindle units mounted for displacement rela- [56] References Cited tive to each other upon a common support. The units 4 include friction drive rings normallymaintained in UNITED STATES PATENTS. 9 driving relation which receive their drive from a belt 3,066,473 12/1962 Maeda 1.57/77! in engagement with one Of the Spindle units- A friction 2,883,824 4/1959 Andrews et ai "57177.45 bushing is positioned in each end of each spindle unit 2,936,567 5/1960 Russel] et al. ..57/ 77.4 for applying a false twist to yarns drawn through the 2,936,570 5/1960 Arthur et al ....57/77 .4 X units, 7 3,029,591 4/1962 Scragg et al. ....57/77.4 X 3,535,866 10/1970 Tsuruta et al ..57/77.4 X 1 10 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures PATENTED DEC 19 I972 lll FIG.4

INVENTOR JOSEPH F. SMITH BRIEF SUMMARY ANDOBJ ECT S OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the twisting of textile yarns and particularly to improved twist tube arrangements for inserting twist into yarn by frictional contact with a rotating cylindrical member. The twist tube directly rotates the yarn traveling therethrough by frictional contact with a head or bushing member formed of rubber, plastic or other suitable frictional materials.

Two spindle units, one displaceable relative to the other, normally are spring biased into frictional engage ment with each other and driven from abeltor band. Each spindle unit includes a central casing having a rotatable tube extending axially therethrough which interconnects rotatable annular portions positioned at the upper and lower ends of the central casing. A bushing or cylindrical member is received within each rotatable annular portion for applying twist to yarn drawn thereover. A yarn may be drawn through one unit, looped through the second unit and again drawn through the first unit such that twist is applied by each of the bushings, or a single yarn may be drawn through each unit at an angle relative to the axis thereof such that twist is applied by the upper and lower bushing of each unit. Thus, yarn having the desired amount of false twist applied thereto can be drawn through the spindle assembly at a higher speed compared with conventional false twist tubes in which one rotation of the tube inserts one twist to the yarn passing through it.

One of the primary objects of the invention is the provision of a false twist spindle arrangement for increasing yarn production while reducing spindle speed.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a false twist spindle assembly for applying a relatively high number of rotations to a yarn for each revolution of a spindle.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a spindle assembly having a plurality of spindle units in driving relation with each other.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES FIGS. 6-9 are fragmentary, sectional views of a spindle unit illustrating various embodiments of friction bushings or rings mounted upon a rotatable portion of the spindle unit;

FIG. 10 is a side elevational view of a bushing drive ring and rotatable annular portion of integral construction; and

FIG. 11 is a side,elevational view of a bushing and a rotatable spindle portion of integal construction.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to the drawing, FIG. 1 illustrates yarn 10 of thermoplastic material being drawn from a supply package 12 and then through a conventional tension applying apparatus 14 and heating unit 16 before having a false twist applied thereto by the spindle assembly 18. A driven takeup package 20 winds the yarn l0 thereon as it emerges from the spindle assembly 18. The spindle assembly, heater unit and takeup and supply packages may be mounted upon a frame. 22, a portion of which has been shown in FIG. 1.

The spindle assembly 18 of FIGS. 1-3 comprises a pair of spindle units 24 and 26 mounted in spaced, parallel relation. One unit 26 is pivotably displaceable from the solid line position of FIG. 3 where it is drivingly engaged by spindle unit 24, to the broken line position wherein the spindle units are disengaged.

Each ofthe units 24 and 26 includes a central, generally cylindrical section 28 and upper 30 and lower 32 annular portions innerconnected by a tube 34, FIG. 6. The upper and lower annular portions 30, 32 and tube 34 are supported for rotation by conventional bearing means, not shown, within the central section 28.

The central section 28 of spindle unit 24 has an L- shaped bracket 36 secured thereto which, in turn, is adapted to be fastened to plate 38 by a releasable fastener 40. the plate 38 has a pair of spaced, parallel arms or posts 42, 44 extending therefrom to facilitate mounting of spindle assembly 18 upon frame 22. One leg of the L-shaped bracket 36 is secured and extends generally radially from the central section 28 of unit 24 while the other leg of bracket 36 is positioned against plate 38.

The spindle units 24, 26 are pivotably secured together by means of post or arm 46, which extends substantially radially from the central section 28 of spindle unit 26, attached by a pivot pin or rod 48 between spaced parallel posts 50, 52 extending generally radially from the central section 28 of spindle unit 24. A fastener 54 threaded into posts 46 secures the post to the rod 48 for displacement therewith. A spring 56 having the ends secured to post 46 and bracket 36, respectively, by means of pins 58, normally urges the spindle units into engagement with each other as shown by FIGS. 2 and 3.

The spindle units are frictionally driven by a band or belt 60 which engages the rotatable annular portion 32 of unit 24, and by friction drive rings 62, 64 which are secured to the rotatable upper annular portions 30 by adhesive or other suitable means. The spring 56 serves to maintain the drive bearings 62, 64 of the spindle units in engagement with each other. A handle 66 is fastened to rod 48 for disengaging the drive rings 62, 64 upon rotation of the handle 66 and rod 48.

Located at the upper and lower annular rotatable portions of each unit 24 and 26 is a bush 68 which contacts yarn 10 being drawn through the spindle units. Each bush 68 is positioned within annular recesses provided at the ends of the annular rotatable portions 30,

32 as shown, for example, by FIG. 6. The bushes are formed of non-abrasive material, preferably rubber or polyurethane, having a high coefi'icient of friction with the yarn in contact therewith. The bushings 68 at each end of a spindle unit have flared openings 70 therein which communicate with openings 72 extending axially of tube 34 for permitting yarn to be drawn completely through the spindle units.

Referring to FIG. 1, the yarn is withdrawn from the heating unit 16 in a plasticized state and travels in the direction of arrow A into spindle unit 24. The yarn then passes in the direction of arrow B to spindle unit 26, travels through unit 26 and again enters unit 24 by following in the path of arrow C, and finally is withdrawn in the direction of arrow D and wound upon the package 20. As the yarn 10 travels from heater 16 to package 20 it contacts one side of the inner peripheral surface of each bushing 68. A false twist is imparted to the yarn since it is in direct frictional contact with the inner'surfaces of each bushing. The yarn bears against each bushing on one side of the axis thereof by leading or directing it towards or away from the bushings in prescribed paths. Various guides may be positioned for insuring the proper yarn paths.

Due to the ratio to the inner diameter of the bushings 68 to the diameter of the yarn 10, many turns of twist may be inserted for each revolution of each bushing. Because of this high speed yarns are possible at relatively low speeds of the spindle units 24, 26.

Since the yarn 10 first travels through unit 24, turns upon entering and emerging from unit 26 and again enters unit 24, twist is applied to the yarn by each of the bushings 68 of both spindle units.

FIGS. 4 and illustrate a modified embodiment of the invention having spindle units 74, 76 somewhat similar to the units 24, 26, respectively, shown by FIGS. 1-3. The units 74, 76 are frictionally driven in a manner as previously described. A coil spring 78 urges the friction rings 80, 82 into engagement with each other. The spring 78 surrounds a pivot pin 84 secured by fastener 86 to the arm 88. The pin passes through parallel arms 90, 92 positioned on opposite sides of the arm 88 and spring 78. One end 94 of spring 78 bears against the outer portion of arm 88 while the opposite spring end 96 bears against the inner side of arm 90. A bracket 98 having suitable openings therein mounts the units 74, 76 upon a machine frame.

FIGS. 6-9 illustrate bushings in rotatable annular portions of a spindle unit having various cross-sectional configurations for retaining the bushings within the annular portions. In FIG. 6, the bushing is received and frictionally retained within a bore 100 formed in portion 30. In FIG. 7, the inner walls 102 of the bore 100 are angled relative to the outer walls of the annular portion 30 and the outer peripheral portion of bushing 68 has an exterior contour conforming thereto to prevent displacement of the bushing from the bore. The annular portions of FIGS. 8 and 9 have bores with recessed 104 and protruding 106 portions, respectively, cooperating therewith. The bushings have external configurations for cooperating with the bores and recesses or protrusions for retaining the bushings in re i i FIGS. and 11 illustrate further modifications of the drive rings, bushings and upper and lower rotatable annular portions wherein such elements have been f r 9.. 9 m i2tqs LEEEJEE QE by, m 'lqi s- In FIG. 10 the integral unit 110 includes a rotatable annular portion 112 similar to members 30 of FIGS.

one

of FIGS l-6.

Each of the units and 118 includes 5156? 124 extending axially therethrough for mounting the units upon the tubular shaft 34 of the spindle units. The units may be secured for rotation with tube '34 by press fitting or other suitable means. The tube 34 communicates with the flaired openings of bushing portions 116 and 128 as shown by FIG. 6. Each of the rotatable units 110 and 118 have been bores 126 therein on the ends opposite the bushing portions for encompassing the end portions of the spindle unit control sections 28 when properly secured to the tube 34.

I claim: I

1. Apparatus for imparting false twist to textile yarns comprising; support means, a first spindle unit secured to said support means, a second spindle unit, said support means including means for mounting said second spindle unit for lateral displacement relative to said sti ulates.isesirissiig su ss'zss'z ls second spindle units in coupled, driving relation with each other.

2..Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein each spindle unit includes means rotatably supported by said support means, said rotatable means including a member having an axial bore for permitting yam to extend therethrough and annular portions secured thereto at each end.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2, each of said annular portions having a friction bushing securedthereto for applying a rotational motion to a yarn in frictional engagement therewith.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said means maintaining said first and second spindle units in coupled, driving relation with each other includes ring members mounted upon the spindle units in frictional driving relation with each other.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4, said means maintaining said first and second spindle units in coupled relation including spring means interconnecting said spindle units for urging said ring members into engagement with each other.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said support means includes arms, secured to each of said first and second spindle units, interconnected by a pin for pivotably mounting one spindle unit with respect .to the other.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said spindle units includes at least one bushing for engaging yarn being drawn through a spindle unit and applying a twist to the yarn by rotating the bushing.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein said bushing comprises a generally cylindrical member having an axially directed opening for receiving yarn therethrough, said opening being flared outwardlyv from a spindle unit.

9. Apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said bushing has an irregular outer peripheral surface for securing said bushing to a spindle unit.

10. Apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said bushing has a high coefficientof friction with the yarn in contact therewith for applying a high number of rotations to the yarn for each revolution of said bush- 

1. Apparatus for imparting false twist to textile yarns comprising; support means, a first spindle unit secured to said support means, a second spindle unit, said support means including means for mounting said second spindle unit for lateral displacement relative to said first spindle unit, means for driving one of the spindle units, and means for maintaining said first and said second spindle units in coupled, driving relation with each other.
 2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein each spindle unit includes means rotatably supported by said support means, said rotatable means including a member having an axial bore for permitting yarn to extend therethrough and annular portions secured thereto at each end.
 3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2, each of said annular portions having a friction bushing secured thereto for applying a rotational motion to a yarn in frictional engagement therewith.
 4. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said means maintaining said first and second spindle units in coupled, driving relation with each other includes ring members mounted upon the spindle units in frictional driving relation with each other.
 5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4, said means maintaining said first and second spindle units in coupled relation including spring means interconnecting said spindle units for urging said ring members into engagement with each other.
 6. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said support means includes arms, secured to each of said first and second spindle units, interconnected by a pin for pivOtably mounting one spindle unit with respect to the other.
 7. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said spindle units includes at least one bushing for engaging yarn being drawn through a spindle unit and applying a twist to the yarn by rotating the bushing.
 8. Apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein said bushing comprises a generally cylindrical member having an axially directed opening for receiving yarn therethrough, said opening being flared outwardly from a spindle unit.
 9. Apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said bushing has an irregular outer peripheral surface for securing said bushing to a spindle unit.
 10. Apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said bushing has a high coefficient of friction with the yarn in contact therewith for applying a high number of rotations to the yarn for each revolution of said bushing. 